Electrostatic printing method and apparatus employing a whisker write head

Abstract

An electronic printing device is disclosed which uses flexible whiskers to transfer a charge corresponding to an image to a dielectric recording surface. The recording surface preferably has areas of differing conductivity so that microfields form on the dielectric surface. Ink, preferably non-charged, may then be attracted to the recording surface through dipole forces and later transferred to paper.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern corresponding to an electronic image comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having a plurality of whiskers for contacting the recording surface, the recording surface being an anisotropic dielectric surface.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising an ink transfer station for transferring ink to the image member. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the ink is an uncharged ink. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the write head further comprises a glide shoe for contacting the recording surface. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern corresponding to an electronic image comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having a plurality of whiskers for contacting the recording surface;   the image member including a conductive layer; a dielectric layer disposed over the conductive layer; and conductive islands disposed on the dielectric layer.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern corresponding to an electronic image comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having a plurality of whiskers for contacting the recording surface;   the write head including a series of conductive pads, each pad having at least one whisker extending therefrom.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 wherein the recording surface is a plain dielectric surface. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 where each pad comprises a plurality of whiskers. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein each pad corresponds to a pixel to be written on the recording surface. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern corresponding to an electronic image comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having a plurality of whiskers for contacting the recording surface;   the whiskers being of one of graphite and tungsten.   
     
     
       11. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern, corresponding to an electronic image, comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having an array of charge members for writing on the recording surface, each charge member having at least one whisker extending therefrom;   the image member including a conductive layer; a dielectric layer disposed over the conductive layer; and conductive islands disposed on the dielectric layer.   
     
     
       12. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern, corresponding to an electronic image, comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having an array of charge members for writing on the recording surface, each charge member having a plurality of whiskers extending therefrom.   
     
     
       13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 further comprising an ink transfer station for transferring ink to the image member. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the ink is an uncharged ink. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the recording surface is a plain dielectric surface. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for writing an electrostatic pattern, corresponding to an electronic image, comprising: an image member having a recording surface; and   a write head for transferring electrostatic charges onto the recording surface, the write head having an array of charge members for writing on the recording surface, each charge member having at least one whisker extending therefrom;   the recording surface being an anisotropic dielectric surface.